Cadbury Wishes and Make-A-Wish

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Inside every child's mind, there's a wish. That's why Cadbury and Make-A-Wish Foundation have teamed up to help make hundreds of wishes come true for children with life-threatening illnesses.

There are over 20,000 children in the UK living with a life-threatening illness. And Cadbury believe that every one of them deserves to experience the magic of a Make-A-Wish wish. You only have to read Hanya's and Bea's stories (below) to see just how much Make-A-Wish wish can bring to a child's life, and provide memories that last a lifetime for the whole family.

Bea is given her own playground

Bea had a bone marrow transplant and was confined her to a room for four months. She was desperate to play outside but, even after leaving hospital, she was not allowed play when other children were around, due to the risk of infection.
When Make-A-Wish asked her what her wish would be, she said: "Could I have my own playground?" Her garden now has a climbing frame, a swing, a climbing wall and monkey bars.
"Bea absolutely loves it," says Bea's mum Anna. "She has been out on it every day without fail!"

How Make-A-Wish works

In 2010, about 1,200 children turned to Make-A-Wish in the UK and Ireland to have their special wish granted.

A small team of professional wish-granters works alongside hundreds of volunteers to turn these children's wishes into reality.

At any one time, staff are working on more than 500 wishes, so it's pretty busy!

Who Make-A-Wish helps

Anyone can refer a child to Make-A-Wish – parents, medical staff, teachers, friends, even the child him or herself. And no one is ignored: if the child is eligible, their wish will always be granted.

To be eligible for Make-A-Wish, children must be between the ages of three and 17, have a medically diagnosed life-threatening illness, and have not been granted a wish before.

"One of the great things about being a wishgranter at Make-A-Wish is that every day is different, every wish is special. Every one of us is dedicated to making each and every wish as memorable as possible. It's a great, great honour to work at Make-A-Wish. Please lend us your support or make a donation. Whatever you do will help another moment of magic fly." Jo Micklewright, head of Wishgranting, Make-A-Wish

Kallum gets to meet Fireman Sam
Kallum, three, has rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancerous tumour. He was granted his wish to be a fireman and meet his hero, Fireman Sam.

Kitted out in all the gear, Kallum received a tour of Great Yarmouth Fire Station, a lesson in using a fireman's hose and a trip in a fire engine, before rounding the day off with a meal at Frankie and Benny's.

"It was a really amazing day," says his mum Joanne. "Kallum enjoyed every second of it. The crew gave him a real fireman's hat – it's very heavy but he loves it and carries it with him everywhere. We will treasure the pictures of Kallum's day as a fireman forever, no matter what the future brings."

What children wish for

Children ask for all kinds of wishes – anything that takes their imagination – but, typically, the wishes fall into four types:

Visit the Wishes website to make a donation to Make-A-Wish. Whatever you can give will help make another moment of magic fly.

Make-A-Wish started in the UK in 1986. It's part of Make-A-Wish International, the largest wish-granting charity in the world. There are Make-A-Wishs in 37 countries. Make-A-Wish Foundation is a registered charity: Registered Charity Nos 295672/SC037479.